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The Day The Doctor Met Robin Hood

Another post where it’s important that I use River Song‘s catchphrase: Spoilers! The following post isn’t really a review as much as it is a gathering of my thoughts about Doctor Who‘s Robot of Sherwood, so if you haven’t watched it – do not read on!

I’ve always liked the legend of Robin Hood and I always enjoyed Doctor Who episodes where historical figures or even fictional characters appeared. Robot of Sherwood was no exception, although I didn’t like it for the main plot, but for other reasons. Here are my thoughts:

The bickering between the Doctor and Robin Hood (Tom Riley) was hilarious! I loved it so much and it was the main reason I liked the episode, because I found the robots rather boring. Lately, they always try to build up some sort of unfortunately obvious mystery and then rush the conclusion in the end. The titles really give away a lot in my opinion. So, I just didn’t care very much for the Sheriff‘s plan – I liked watching the interaction between the other characters though.

I know it’s silly, but I missed Danny in the episode. Into the Dalek was such a great set up for him and now he wasn’t even mentioned, well except indirectly by Robin when he said goodbye to Clara.

Speaking of Clara and Robin – weren’t they cute together? She was absolutely infatuated with this legend she’s always loved and finally gets to meet and I think he was fascinated by her as well. We all know his big love is someone else, but I liked their little flirtation.

Again with the Promised Land … I start to dislike those little sneak peeks, because we don’t get any more information. I hate not knowing what’s going on, and of course they can’t tell as everything at once, but a little progression in the information output would be helpful.

The Doctor momentarily stopped believing that everything can be possible and hurt Clara by asking her, when she started to believe in the impossible. She’s his impossible girl after all! Still, I like seeing a grumpier, darker version of the Doctor, who can nonetheless be funny.

The promo for next week’s episode Listen looks creepier than the past ones, which makes me really excited! Also, I like that I can’t yet imagine what I should expect from something called “Listen”.

What was your opinion of Robot of Sherwood? I still can’t believe that Robin was played by Da Vinci’s Demons Tom Riley – I barely recognised him!

25 thoughts on “The Day The Doctor Met Robin Hood”

I rather enjoyed this episode. Yeah, it used a few tired old devices–power-mad official, robots allying themselves with the local tyrant, trying to get home–but they did it so well. And taking the same old story and making it fresh and new is a mark of good fiction, in my opinion. Also, I thought the bickering between the two was, if a little excessive, hilarious. And in the end they finally came together and saved the day, which was awesome.

I’m also intrigued by the Promised Land hints (and I have a feeling they don’t mean Israel). I like how they insert little things here and there. It’s something I would’ve done.

Also, I think I finally have this Doctor’s character down a bit. He’s grumpy, stubborn, and maybe a bit of a show-off. He’s also prone to do things that most others wouldn’t like to do themselves. But deep down, he tries to be a good man and save the world even when his character is a bit of cynic. I like that about him.

I really enjoyed the episode as well, but when I look at it in the big picture, my favourite parts were the interactions between Robin, the Doctor and Clara and not so much what happened with the Sheriff and the robots. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t terrible or even close to anything like that, but it didn’t get me excited either. I think from the three episodes that have aired so far, I might’ve liked it best or second best after Deep Breath.

I’m intrigued as well, but I just wish for a tiny bit more information. Not everything there is to know, but a little hint that says more than Promised Land, Heaven or Paradise.

I like the 12th Doctor as well. I had this weird dream lately, where I got a TARDIS key from the Doctor and he was in the form of Peter Capaldi. That definitely means he’s manifested as the Doctor in my mind.

A good dream that portends good things to come for you and for the Doctor, I’m sure.

Well, here’s my guess on the Promised Land. It’s either another dimension, or it’s Gallifrey, or perhaps hidden there. In any case, if Series 8 is premiering episodes every week, we’ll know by the end of November.

The last episode will air on November 8 and I’ll be devastated when it’s over … Doctor Who really shouldn’t have any breaks in between seasons. Another dimension sounds interesting, but I don’t know. I want to know why all the dead people appear there. I only hope that Missy isn’t short for Mistress, which would mean she is the female version of the Master.

If she is, then why does she love the Doctor and think they’re dating? The Master defines himself by his conflict with the Doctor, but he’d destroy him in a second if it meant he could attain the power he desired. And besides, she’s a bit too nice to be the female version of the Master.

But the Master is also a bit insane, so I wouldn’t exactly count him in as a reliable person concerning his behaviour. However, I do hope you are right! There are again so many theories out there, I don’t know what to believe anymore.

Nice! So my question is, is Clara still meant to be The Impossible Girl? After the Doctor called Robin Hood “impossible”, I was just waiting for a reminder that Clara used to be Impossible too. 12 & Clara have quite a different relationship than 11 & Clara, but I quite enjoy their new dynamic.

There’s truth to that. Clara was definitely 11’s Impossible Girl, but she might not be 12’s. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what she is to him now. But you are right, their dynamic is great! The bickering and the showing off – I love it!

In the hope of not being banned from the blog – I never got into Doctor Who. I tried, I really tried, and it’s totally my genre, and I love David Tennant and Billie Piper (I’m not even talking old Who now), but I just never managed to get beyond the fourth Episode of the first season (although I do keep telling myself that at some point I will binge watch all 482 seasons and that if I try hard enough I will get into it).

Having said that: Tom Riley! Robin Hood! Is it acceptable to watch Who episodes out of order? I tend to be a bit OCD about watching series in full and in order.

(I do prefer Riley in Monroe and Lost in Austen over Da Vinci’s Demons, which I also lost after a season. A season which I forced myself into watching just by my sheer obsession with period and Riley).

Don’t worry, that’s no reason to be banned from my blog. Everyone has their own opinion and it’s alright if you don’t like it, although I am a little disappointed.

Doctor Who is really one of those shows where I absolutely wouldn’t recommend watching it out of order. I personally haven’t seen the Classic Who season, but everything from 2005 onwards. I always tell my friends they should start with Eccelston and if they don’t like him, they should still keep watching until they get to Tennant. It is then very unlikely that they won’t be delighted by him, but in the rare case that they also don’t like him, I would allow them to jump to Smith’s era. If they then don’t enjoy that either, Doctor Who just isn’t their thing.

In the end, I suppose you could watch “Robot of Sherwood” without majorly spoiling anything else. I am just not sure how much sense it would make to just watch this one episode.

It’s an odd thing really, because based on everything else I have liked over the years, this should be exactly my thing, yet I really struggle with it. I finally finished episode 4 yesterday and I suppose I will eventually get into it – and will also see how I am with other doctors and companions. Probably will just do a massive Netflix marathon. I wouldn’t normally try so hard to get into a show, but sometimes you have those things that you know you are supposed to like and just somehow didn’t get into the right mood for them…

I know exactly what you mean! I don’t even dare say it out loud in fear of being struck by the massive criticism of it’s fandom, but I struggled a lot with Breaking Bad. Everyone loves it and I feel like I should like it too, but I somehow can’t get fully into it.

If it helps, I don’t get Breaking Bad either. I don’t feel as bad about it as I do about Doctor Who, but probably because Who really should be something I am addicted to, while I rarely get into shows/films like Breaking Bad…

I studied Mass Communications, Journalism and Literature, and I assume that if I was still in school my fellow students would be totally into it (I can tell by the ones I am still in touch with over Facebook, too). But hey ho. We’re unique and have an independent way of thinking.